


Following Through

by AstroGirl



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, death and destruction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 06:39:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10916388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroGirl/pseuds/AstroGirl
Summary: Asgore collects the seventh human soul.





	Following Through

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Tic Tac Woe apocalypse bingo challenge, for the prompt "underground forces unleashed." I used this one for my wildcard, because how could I resist putting an Undertale twist on that? A horrible, _really_ -bad-ending Undertale twist. I hereby apologize to pretty much every character in the game.

Flowey watches from a distance as the human takes a spear in the gut for... What is it, the fifth time now? His memories of previous timelines are a little fuzzy around the edges, now that he can't reset anymore, but he's sure it's at least five. Idiot. How long is it going to take them to learn that all they need to do is run away? Undyne gave them a zillion hints! Those two idiots deserve each other, he figures, but he doesn't deserve the annoyance of watching them do this forever.

He taps a leaf impatiently on the ground and yawns as he watches Undyne crow in triumph and snatch the human's battered soul out of the air. Any moment now, they'll blip back in for attempt number six.

Any moment now.

Any. Moment. Now.

Huh. He's still here.

Flowey instinctively reaches out to check his save file, a habit he hasn't been able to break himself of since the human showed up and stole his power. And for the first time since they tumbled through that stupid hole, it's there. It's solidly, reachably _there_.

Holy crap. Maybe the human's staying dead this time, after all.

He hears the clank of armor receding into the distance as Undyne sprints back towards New Home, carrying the human soul.

**

Hidden among the other flowers in the throne room, he watches as Asgore, weeping, cups the human soul in his hands. "Forgive me," he says, to no one who could possibly be listening. "Forgive me. I'm sorry. I have to. I _do_ have to. I do not deserve it, but, please. Forgive me."

His big hands tremble uncontrollably as he shoves the soul into his chest. Six more follow. Each time, Asgore cries out, as if in pain.

Well, how about that. Who would have thought ol' King Fluffybuns had it in him?

**

The Barrier is down. _The Barrier is down_ , and the entire Underground is celebrating. Joy and nervousness and tension and expectation fill the air. It's like nothing Flowey has ever seen before, and isn't that exciting? He'd almost forgotten what that was like.

Above, alone, Asgore the God rises up against the humans. He's forbidden anyone to come with him, even Undyne. Doesn't want blood on anyone else's hands, apparently. Pathetic.

So pathetic that Flowey's decided not to watch. Who wants to see Mr. Dad Guy pretending to be the god of vengeance? Not Flowey. It'd be... boring. Yes, that's it. Boring.

Instead, he's idly watching some furry idiots dancing in the streets of Snowdin when the bombs go off.

**

When he wakes up at his save point, he gets out. _Fast_. He's through the place where the Barrier used to be and halfway down the mountain when the entire world bursts into smoke and flame. He cries out and covers what passes for his head these days, beats out his singed leaves, and burrows into the earth until the noise and the heat have finally faded. 

Cautiously, he heads back. The entrance to the Underground is choked with rubble. He burrows under it.

The carnage inside is impressive. Far worse than anything he ever managed, even on his best bad day. Nothing is left but ash and dust and dissipating flares of magic. Looks like the prophecy was right. The Underground is empty. Well, empty of anything interesting, anyway.

**

He pops back up to see what's going on with his-- with Asgore, and finds him in a field, surrounded by humans. Who knew there were this many? Who knew they had such powers of destruction? They're firing their weapons at the king over and over, firing bullets that aren't made of anything as simple and understandable as magic.

And Asgore stands there, in the middle of it all. He is magnificent. He is huge and winged and powerful, and...

And broken. He slumps to the ground, surrendering, and Flowey screams. "No! No, you idiot! You can't have that kind of power and just _let them kill you_! You can't! It's horrible, it's the worst, you can't, you _can't_! In this world, it's kill or--!"

Asgore's soul cracks. The human souls, suddenly freed, emerge from his body in a multi-colored rush and disappear all at once into the nothingness of the sky. Flowey can see the king trying to say something, but he can't hear what it is. And then it's over, and there's nothing left but dust.

"King Asgore will save us all," says Flowey. "What a joke." But he can't quite force himself to laugh.

**

Well. It's decision time. He _could_ undo all of this. He can feel his save file, still right where he left it. He could go back and change things. Befriend the human, maybe, keep them from giving up, manipulate them into whatever course of action he decides he likes best. Or maybe steal their soul back from Undyne. He could; he knows all her tricks. Or he could talk to Asgore. Could tell him... Could tell him...

Flowey looks around, at the human soldiers poking in confusion at the old man's dust. He looks up the mountain, towards the rubble-choked barrier. And further up, at the infinite blueness of the sky.

"Eh, screw it," he says. It's a big, wide world out here, after all, a world full of new people. Full of experiences he hasn't already had over and over and over. Full of beautiful destruction.

Why should he reset? Isn't this exactly what he's wanted all along? With a playground like this, he might never have to feel boredom again.

He turns his back on the mountain and makes his way forward into the bright and unknown future.


End file.
